Booking Gigs

I remember how easy it was to book my band or myself back in the 80's. Whether I booked a church, coffee house or concert venue most of the time the phone rang off the hook. Then, after being away from the music scene for awhile, it became more and more difficult to get a booking. At 40, in 1998, when I recorded my second album "Standing on the Rock" I discovered how things had changed.

There were some venues that drew a large crowd of kids. Kids to me are 25 and younger. I discovered that the kids liked my music, for the most part, but mostly the feed back from them was, "Man, my parents would really like your music."

I have to admit it took a few years for me to come to the realization that my songs didn't speak to the younger crowd but to mature audiences. When I say mature I don't mean old, I mean people who have been through life and experienced more. I would also hear, "My parents are really into Neil Diamond. It's too bad they didn't come and hear you. They would have liked you".

At 50 I'd have to say that I've heard the vocal comparison between me and Neil Diamond at least 10 to 20 times everywhere I have sung in the last 30 years. After my last appearance on the Seattle Praise the Lord show and after my last song, sure enough, the host replied, "He sounds a lot like Neil Diamond." I say last performance because shortly after that appearance the station changed their policy on local artists. Now those who host shows must bring their own musical artists so if you're not an artist attending a Mega church then you don't get on the show anymore. Anyway, at first it was a real irritant that I was being compared to Neil Diamond but after awhile I had to realize that everyone is compared to someone so I started using it as a way of an introduction.

Now the point that I'm getting to is this. There are many artists out there, my age, who have a whole lot to say to mature audiences. Audiences that would really appreciate our music. But, because the demographics for music sales and audience attendance favors those with the most disposable income, that is young people, churches and coffee house simply don't book artists for their mature church members. Then, as a way of justifying their reason for primarily or exclusively booking the younger artists, churches and coffee houses proclaim their ministry is to reach out to the young people. They're proclaiming that it's the young people who are more lost than other generations. What a statement they're making. No one is really buying this are they? Christ's ministry wasn't to young people more than any other generation was it? I don't recall Paul's ministry, Peter's, John's or any of the Disciple's and Apostle's ministry geared more for young people than older.

I am totally for reaching out to the young people, we must, but not if we exclude reaching out to older generations. There are just as many mature audiences who need to hear the Gospel of Christ through music and testimony as there are young people perhaps more.

But, the mature audiences don't bring in the bucks like the younger audiences. Like I stated, younger audiences have a far greater disposable income than mature audiences. I remember attending concerts when I was young so I know. I would buy the ticket and bring along cash to buy a T-shirt, a pop or coffee and an album or two. I had no problem with being willing to spend $50 or more, back in the late 70's through the 80's, when I went to a concert. So, I'm sure it's the same for young people today.

Anyway, I guess my point here was to simply get it off my chest. To be honest, putting the demographics aside, it's easier to reach young people than it is mature audiences. Mature audiences are more set in their ways and more fixed in their opinions. Mature audiences who need to hear the Gospel are simply MORE work. It's easier to bring in young people by offering them music that speaks to them and allows them the feeling that their understood than it is mature adults. Well, that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.